professor

1 of 2

noun (1)

pro·​fes·​sor prə-ˈfe-sər 

1

: one that professes, avows, or declares

2

a

: a faculty member of the highest academic rank at an institution of higher education

b

: a teacher at a university, college, or sometimes secondary school

c

: one that teaches or professes special knowledge of an art, sport, or occupation requiring skill

professorship

prə-ˈfe-sər-ˌship 

noun

professorship

2 of 2

noun (2)

pro·​fes·​sor·​ship prəˈfesə(r)ˌship 

prōˈ-

: the office, duties, or position of an academic professor

Examples of professor in a Sentence

Noun (1)

Professor Williams will be teaching the class.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The killing of Yagi is emblematic of a decades-long issue for the people of Okinawa, gender and peace professor Kozue Akibayashi told Al Jazeera. — Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 7 Oct. 2026

The no-confidence resolution has secured support from 40 of the faculty senate's 75 voting members, according to the resolution's sponsor, professor Paul Ortiz. — Anders Hagstrom, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026

The show offered a welcome mix for Christians turned off by other TV offerings in the 1970s that reflected a culture changing too fast for them, said James Goff, a professor of American Church History at Appalachian State University. — Tim Funk, Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2026

That’s one reason why brands are not cracking down on street sellers, says Jodi Balsam, a professor of clinical law and director of the Sports Law Clinic at Brooklyn Law School. — Matt Martell, Vogue, 6 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing professor

• assistant professor
• associate professor
• regius professor

Rhymes for professor

• aggressor
• assessor
• compressor
• confessor
• depressor
• hairdresser
• necessar
• oppressor
• possessor
• processor
• repressor
• successor

Kids Definition

professor

noun

pro·​fes·​sor prə-ˈfes-ər 

: a teacher especially of the highest rank at a college or university

professorial

ˌprō-fə-ˈsōr-ē-əl 

ˌpräf-ə-, 

-ˈsȯr-

adjective

professorially

-ē-ə-lē 

adverb